Music-roll-coupling device.



PATENTED AUG. 21,1905

E. S. VOTEY. MUSIC ROLL COUPLING DEVICE;

APPLICATION FILED OGT.13, 1905.

Wa k/l UNTTED PATENT @FF iilhl.

FDW IN S. VUTEY, F SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR Ti) AEOLIAN CUM- PAN YOF NEW YORK, N. Yen U ORPORATION 0F CUNNECTICUT.

MUSIl-RQLL GQUPMNGI names.

are. scares.

fipecifioation of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, acs.

To whom it may concern:

Be it lmownthat 1, EDWIN S. Vo EY, a citizen of the United States,residing atSummit, New Jersey, (post-office address, care of The AeolianCompany, 362 Fifth avenue, New York,) have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Music-Roll-Goupling Devices of which thefollowing is a speci fication, accompanied by drawin s.

This invention relates particularly to the driving-clutch mechanismwhich is usually at the right-hand end of the music-roll in the pianola,pianola-piano, aeolian, angelus, and instruments of similar nature. Theinvention provides a clutch member for centerin and sup orting the musicroll, which clutch is adapte to cooperate with difierent constructionsof roll and to receive such rolls of different constructions and r0erlenga e them and drive them and ievidnd them, is well as to allow themto be unwound in'the playing of the instrument. The adjustments of thiscoupling device enable it to cooperate properly with the well-knownsixty five-note music-rolls having wooden heads with winged pins forengaging a clutch or coupling, and also with siXty-five-note. rolls forthe same traoker=board but having the recently-improved rolls withrelatively thin heads or flanges and hollow ends, and also with rollssimllar in construction to the last,

but of greater length, so as to rovide for several extra rows of holesor per ora-tions in the roll either for'increasing the register ormusical range of the roll or for controlling special tracker-ducts whichin turn control t e operation of special devices in the instrument,which it is not necessary here to describe. In addition to this theinvention is adapted for use with diiierent lengths of rolls for anypurpose for which it may be desirable to manufacture rolls of differentlengths. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings itisdesigned especially for the conditions above outlined.

Figure 1 of the drawingsis an elevation showing the end of asixty-five-note roll with thin flange and hollow end in. combinationwith the coupling device. Fig. 2 is a similar view, partly in centralsection and partly in the wings of the as shown in Fig. 3.

. one or more pins 19.

claim herein, as they are part of the 85 .ferential portion of the slot16. i seen that this end of the slot extends in section, in use withthe. older form of and winged pin for engaging the clutch. Fig. 4 is asectional view of the interior member of, the coupling device. Fig. 5 isan end view of Fig. 6 a erspective end? view of the roll construction sown in Figs. 1 and 2.

At 10 is shown a revolving shaft which drives the roll inrewinding andis turned by the roll as the roll unwinds. Thishas bearings in part ofthe frame 11 ment, as well understood. The driving connections forturning the shaft 10 need not be shown, as they are well understood.Rigid with the shaft 10 is the sleeve or head .12,

sixtyfive-note rolls having-a thick wooden head of the instru providedwith a' pin 13 for engagin a slot of the adjustable outer member 14 anhaving a hollow end and cross-slot 15 for receiving and engaging withthe usual winged pin of a roll,

pin entering V Upon the sleeve or head 12 is adjustablymounted the outermember 14 of the coupling device. This has a bayonetjoint or L-shapedslot 16, which receives the these slots 15,

pin 13, and has a clutch consisting of a cen- 8o tral portion 17,surrounded by a flange having an annular recess 18 for receiving aclutch engaging projection 20 on the roll and These clutch features I donot subject-matter ofmy other application, Se' rial No. 282,660, filedOctober 13, 1905.

The L-shaped slot 16 permits the member 14 to have two adjustments orpositions, one

of which positions is shown in Fig. 1 and the In Fig. 1 the outer leftand turned so. end of the circu1n- It will be other in Figs. 2 and 3.-member is drawn to the that the pin 13 is at the direction in which theshaft 10 is intended to be driven in rewinding, the roll, so that thedragging-action of the roll holds the pin 13 against the end of the slotand maintains the parts firmly in position.

The arrow shown across the sleeve 12 n. Fig. 1 indicates the directionof rotation when the shaft. is driving the roll. The arrowshown on themusic-roll 25 indicates the in the 9 5 roo direction of ribtation of theroll in unwinding, 1o 5 and consequently also the direction of the ragor resistance of the roll when being re- Wound. When the music is beingdrawn from the roll in unwinding, it will be seen that the roll tends tohold the pin 13 in the end of the slot 16 in the same manner as when theroll is being driven by the shaft.

The preferred construction of the roll is best seen in Figs. 2 and 6. Itconsists of a tubular core 26, upon which is secured and woundthemusic-sheet 25, end flanges 27, and metallic sleeve 28, riveted tothe 'core at 29 and upset or upturned to form a projecting flange orbead 20 on the face of the flange 27,-and thereby secure the flange 27against the end of the core 26. This small flange or bead 20 is cut awayor notched at one or more points 30 (best seen in Fig. 6) to receive andengage the pin 19 of the outer clutch member 14 of the coupling device.The construction of the ends of the rolls in Figs. 1 and 2 is the same,thoughthe length of the rolls is different.

In Fig. 1 the sixty five note music-roll is shown and the couplingdevice is so proportioned that in its adjustment there shown the rollwill be held in the properposition to cooperate with the tracker, aswell understood. In Fig. 2 the right-hand end of the roll is about ahalf inch longer to permit. two or three extra rows of perforations, asabove mentioned, and to receive this roll the outer member of thecoupling device is adjusted so that the slot 16 receives the pin 13 atthe extreme left-hand end of the slot. The pres sure of the roll againstthe clutch of e'ourse holds the parts in this adjusti'nent. These twoadjustments of the coupling device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are ofthemselves a valuable improvement; but I have also so provided that thecoupling device is capable of receiving the wingedpin of the usualsixtyfive-note roll, as shown in Fig. 3, the coupling device being thenadjusted in precisely the same manner as in Fig. 2. The hollow center ofthe outer and adjustable clutch member when in the position shown inFigs. 2 and 3 freely permits the insertion and engagement of the wingedpin with the cooperating clutch-slot 15 already described, and

the parts are proportioned as shown, so that the music-sheet in Fig. 3will have the same position longitudinally as the music-sheet in Fig. 1.Thus I am able to provide pianolas and other instruments with a clutchmember which adapts them to accurately and properly cooperatewithspecially-designed rolls of extra length, as in Fig. 2, and alsowith the usual sixty-five note rolls and also with rolls of shorterlength, but similar construction, as in-Fig. 1, and at the same timeprovide for accurate cooperation with the older form of rolls havingwinged pins for engaging the clutch without requiring the removal of anypart of the coupling device or the provision of a hinged member by whichone part of it may be turned out of the way of another part. Also, apartfrom the adjustability of my device in its preferred aspect, theomission of the adjustable features and utilization of the combinedclutches in. the relationship shown in Figs. 2 and 3 enables me toprovide for an extra-length roll, as in Fig. 2, in comextends into therecess in said outer clutch,.

said outer clutch having a cooperating pin or engaging member forengaging the roll, for,

substantially the purposes set forth.

2. A n1usic-roll-co1ipling device providedwith an inner clutch memberrecessed and slotted to cooperate with a winged pin an outer clutchmember adjustable longitudinally of the said inner member and providedwith means for limiting its adjustment in each direction and for holdingit in place when adjusted.

3. A music-roll-coupling device provided with an inner clutch memberrecessed and slotted to cooperate with a'winged pin and an outer clutchmember adjustable longitudinally of the said inner member and providedwith means for limiting its adjustment in each direction and for holdingit in place when adjusted, said means comprising a pinand-slotconnection.

4. A music-roll-coupling device having a longitudinallyadjustable memberhaving roll-engaging means at its free end and a rotary shaft to whichthe said longitudinallyadjustable member is secured having securingmeans directly thereon in contradistinction to having separate externalnon-rotating devices for holding the adjustable member.

5. A music-roll-cou ling device having a longitudinally-adjusts. 1eclutch member and. a rotary shaft to which .the said longitudinallyadjustable member is secured by a pinand-slot connection, the said slothaving a circumferential portion against the end of which the pin tendsto be drawn in the normal operation of the parts, substantially asdescribed.

e. A music-roll-coupling device having in combination with theactuating-shaft thereof a clutch member adjustable longitudinallythereof and having a projecting centering portion and an outer recessedportion with a pin or projection for driving engagement with the roll,for substantially the purposes set forth.

7. A music-roll-coupling device having in combination with theactuating-shaft thereextends ciroumferentially end a in for the saidslot in the said shaft, here the said clutch tends "to be retained ineit er one of its two adjustments When in use, substantiallyasdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signetli this specification in the presenceof two subscribing Witnesses.

. EDWIN S. VOTEY.

of a clutch membei adjustable longitudinally thereof and having aprojecting portion 17 for centering a roll and an outer recessed portion21 and a roll-driving pin or projection in 5 such recessed portion forsubstantially the purposes set forth,

8. A music-roll-coupling device having in combination with theactuating-shaft thereof e clutch member adjustable longitudinally 21othereof and having a slot, a portion of Whic Witnesses: 4

extends longitudinell to permit the longitu- W. C. MANSFIELD, dinaladjustment and enother portion which A. W. SPENoE.

